As known from common experience the civilian attire of an individual checking into a hospital or like facility is replaced by a hospital-issued garment which in use does little more than serve as a bodily covering, and, in practice, especially for a female patient, does not serve her modesty requirements, is difficult to put on without assistance, and has other drawbacks.
Prior patents, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,535 for “Garment For Use In Health Care Situations” issued to Dye et al. on Mar. 24, 1992 and by U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,279 for “Surgical Garment For A Patient” issued to Elting et al. on Mar. 30, 1999, to mention an exemplary few, address the shortcomings of hospital-issued garments, but fail to overcome their shortcomings, except for embodying a more stylish appearance and providing a more effective bodily covering satisfying the modesty of the wearer. What is lacking in the '535, '279 patents and all other known patented patient garments, is a construction which contributes to the dressing-up use of the garment by the patient without the assistance of another.